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Saturday 7th November 2009

Top News
Many aviation advocacy groups share a goal to work toward diversifying the pilot population, and in an effort to encourage more women to consider aviation careers, Women in Aviation International teamed up with AOPA this week to create a Women's Wing for the Aviation Summit in Tampa. "We offered seminars and mini-forums about careers, about following your passion, and exploring why would a person want to learn to fly," said Amy Laboda, editor in chief of WAI's Aviation for Women magazine. The group also hosted a breakfast for women pilots and book signings with aerobatic pilot Patty Wagstaff and Susan Butler, author of East to the Dawn, one of the books that inspired the new Amelia Earhart movie.
Nov 5, 5:48pm UTC

More News
The SR-71 Blackbird was one of the most distinctive and powerful aircraft ever built, and one of the select group of pilots who flew it visited AOPA Summit in Tampa this week to tell the story of the airplane and its place in history.
Nov 5, 5:48pm UTC
"This is what every pilot is dreaming of, when they go to the airport to learn to fly," said John McKenna, as he watched one slide after another of beautiful wilderness views scroll by on the wall of his group's new display at AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa this week.
Nov 5, 5:50pm UTC
Undertaking the development of a light jet is a project "not for the faint of heart," Cirrus CEO Brent Wouters said at AOPA's Aviation Summit on Thursday, but he assured the press who had gathered for his update that Cirrus is up to the task.
Nov 5, 7:22am UTC
Avidyne Corp. announced a new EX600 Multi-Function Display for GA airplanes and helicopters, at AOPA Aviation Summit in Tampa on Thursday.
Nov 5, 7:22am UTC
Piper Aircraft has shuffled the front office after the resignation of former president John Becker. Current CEO Kevin Gould will assume the presidency and that, along with some promotions from the ranks, seem to be in line with the new owners' plan.
Nov 5, 5:22pm UTC
When the filmmakers at Fox Searchlight needed a Lockheed Electra for their movie about Amelia Earhart, it took only a couple of phone calls to lead them to Joe Shepherd.
Nov 5, 10:39pm UTC
With more than 1,000 orders for its Skycatcher LSA booked, Cessna is moving apace to bring the airplane into series production, and it showed up at AOPA Summit in Tampa with a conforming airplane.
Nov 4, 6:35pm UTC
While the FAA continues to work on long-awaited new rules to cope with pilot fatigue, the Air Line Pilots Association this week announced its own new policy, which it says is based on the latest science and three years of work.
Nov 4, 6:36pm UTC
China intends to design and build its own engines to power the so-called Big Plane, the C919.
Nov 3, 11:13pm UTC
 
Everyone can participate in this week's AOPA Summit in Tampa via the Internet, with a slew of new online features being tried out for the first time.
Nov 5, 5:49pm UTC
The LSA sector may still be young and wet behind the ears compared to the industry stalwarts, but on Thursday at AOPA Aviation Summit, AOPA got on board with the LSA movement, choosing an LSA as their annual Sweepstakes airplane for the first time ever.
Nov 5, 7:23am UTC
The first owner of a Cessna Skycatcher won't have far to turn if she has a complaint. Cessna announced at AOPA Summit that Rose Pelton, wife of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton will get the first 162.
Nov 5, 8:11am UTC
On Thursday at AOPA Summit, Lindbergh Foundation chairman Larry Williams announced the group will donate a brand-new Aviat Husky to the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Nov 5, 7:46am UTC
The general aviation industry, which each year contributes an average of $150 billion to the economy, lost 19,000 jobs over the past year and among the industry's biggest coming challenges is the implementation of NextGen -- financial incentives may help, says GAMA.
Nov 6, 1:15am UTC
AOPA launches its new version of the former AOPA Expo in Tampa this week, and despite the stubbornly down economy, organizers expect a full exhibit hall and attendance close to what it was for the last Tampa event, four years ago.
Nov 4, 6:36pm UTC
A federal court in St. Louis has sentenced Adam Leon, 31, to two years in prison for took off from an Ontario flight school in a stolen Cessna 172 last April on an abortive suicide flight.
Nov 4, 6:36pm UTC
North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan will propose a measure to ban the use of laptop computers and other "personal electronic devices" in airliner cockpits.
Nov 3, 10:04pm UTC
There has been another change at the top of Piper Aircraft. President John Becker, who'd been in the position less than six months, resigned Monday, according to TCPalm.com.
Nov 3, 4:39am UTC

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Features & Columns

Letter of the Week: Safety or Punishment?

Yes, the pilots of NW 188 made a mistake. However, it is a shame that we are so focused on blame and punishment. What ever happened to "learning from our mistakes"? Given their experience (and especially their most recent experience) and previous records, I can think of no other flight crew I would rather have in the cockpit the next time I fly.

I know they would be on top of their game because they know it can happen to them. But, no, I'll be riding with a low time, marginally qualified crew who may have never seen ice and doesn't know what to do if it is encountered, or a crew that can't tell they are lined up on the wrong runway, while these two highly experienced pilots are looking for a new career. Is it about safety or about punishment?

Jim Oeffinger

Click through to read the rest of this week's letters.

 
Although it's not uncommon to see a female pilot on the flight deck, the front office is hardly representative of the gender and racial diversity of the U.S. York College students in New York are out to change that. The current class in the college's Aviation Institute is 60 percent female, and most of the aspiring pilots are women of color. Alice Speri takes a look at the program and the students.
What was it like training pilots to fly on instruments in the Link trainer during wartime? Here's an inside view, complete with the cheap tequila.
Brainteasers Seemingly insignificant regulations can bite. So bite back and defang the FAA's oft-overlooked regs by testing your grasp of the Code of Federal Regulations. (Think old-school FARs, if you like. We do.)
Take the quiz.

FULL INDEX OF FEATURES Browse Our Features Archive
FULL INDEX OF COLUMNS Browse Our Columns Archive

Podcasts and Video
There's still a big gap between the number of male and female pilots, but Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University makes sure all students are welcome and given every opportunity for success. AVweb's Mary Grady speaks with Susan Sharp, ERAU's program coordinator for aeronautical science and advisor for the campus chapter of Women in Aviation.
The credit market is still tight, but those who want to buy an airplane and have the financial credentials to match should have no trouble. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli talks with Jim Blessing of AirFleet Capital.
Lack of capital is slowing development of the Cirrus SF 50 jet, but progress is being made. AVweb's Mary Grady speaks with Cirrus Aircraft CEO Brent Wouters.
If you don't need all the bells and whistles, PS Engineering's new $995 certified audio panel might be what you're looking for. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli speaks with Gary Picou.
Expanding its services to members, AOPA is offering medical screenings at the AOPA Summit, provided by Cook Medical. Specifically, abdominal aneurysms are a concern for pilot medical issuances, according to AOPA's director of medical certification services, Gary Crump. At the Summit, Cook Medical has set up several private examination booths, and members can get their results before leaving the show. In this podcast, Crump tells AVweb about additional medical services being offered this year at the association's health section.
AOPA's annual meeting in Tampa has a fresh look, and it's challenged its presenters to come up with some fresh ideas on the future of general aviation. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with AOPA President Craig Fuller.
At NBAA in Orlando, AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spoke with Hartzell's Mike Disbrow about new developments in the world of turboprops. Conceding that it has a bit of self-interest, Hartzell is pushing the idea that for efficient travel, you can't beat an airplane pulled through the air with a prop rather than pushed with a turbofan. And the market agrees with Disbrow. Turboprop flight activity hasn't taken near the hit that jet ops have, indicating that owners and operators are finding definite advantages in props.
 
In this video, veteran Reno Racer Thom Richard tells what it's like to wail around the pylons at Reno in a Formula 1 race aircraft. It's powered by a 100hp O-200, but Invictus — which was on display at AOPA Summit in Tampa this week — is still capable of nearly 250 MPH. It's hot, high-G work, but it's also six minutes of one of the biggest shots of adrenaline in aviation.
So what if new aircraft sales are in the tank? You can still fix up an older airframe to near new standards. Two companies at AOPA Summit were offering such upgrades, and a third, Premier Aircraft, is offering a premium upgrade to new Diamond DA40s that can include air conditioning, plus a second alternator and comfy upgraded leather seats. Nexair Avionics saw an opportunity in Avidyne's sophisticated Release 9 EFIS and is selling legacy Saratogas with this big glass upgrade. Sierra Industries is taking a similar tack, but they're using Garmin's G500 in their Super Centurion upgrade. This video offers a quick glimpse at products from all three companies.
Aspen is now shipping its new EFD 1000 companion MFD to the popular PFD. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli got a checkout with Aspen's Scott Smith prior to the AOPA Summit.
Lockheed 12 owner Joe Shepherd got the rarest of opportunities: His fully restored airplane was used in the film Amelia, now playing in cinemas across the country. Shepherd tells what it was like to play a small but important part in a major film.
Cessna moves ever closer to opening the spigot on LSA production. The company arrived at AOPA Summit with a confirming version of the 162 Skycatcher, and AVweb took a spin.
It burns 10 gallons an hour of auto gas and can do 150 knots. But is there a market for a Rotax-powered twin in the U.S.? AVweb's Jeff Van West takes a closer look at Tecnam's unique piston twin.
At AOPA Summit this week in Tampa, Florida, Garmin will roll out it's new touchscreen-based aera line of navigators. AVweb's Paul Bertorelli spent the last week wringing out a sample. Here's his video report.

FULL INDEX OF PODCASTS Find All Podcasts Of Interest

AVwebBiz: AVweb's Business Aviation Newsletter
Delivered every Wednesday morning, AVwebBiz focuses on the companies, the products and the industry leaders that make headlines in the business aviation industry, making it a must-read.

Add AVwebBiz to your free subscriptions today by clicking here and choosing "Update E-mail Subscriptions."
Jan 1, 10:14pm UTC

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Who's Where
Henry Schachar has been promoted from President to Executive Vice Chairman of Marquis Jets. Ken Austin will take over as President. (Austin was formerly Executive Vice President.) Both have been with the company since 2001, and Schachar is co-founder.

Oct 27, 10:51pm UTC

FULL INDEX OF WHO'S WHERE STORIES Find Past Who's Where Stories Of Interest

VIDEO


Hot Mods and Upgrades at AOPA Summit

No video? Direct link here.
What's It Like to Fly a Racer at Reno?

No video? Direct link here.
Garmin aera Debut

No video? Direct link here.

READER-SUBMITTED PHOTOS
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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should the use of laptops and other portable electronic devices be banned in the cockpit?

Two Northwest Airlines pilots have had their certificates revoked after they say they forgot to land in Minneapolis because they were using their laptops. Now Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) wants a federal law against laptops and "other personal electronic devices" in the cockpit. Is that really necessary?


Share your Opinion »

PILOT RESOURCES

FBO OF THE WEEK

AVweb's "FBO of the Week" ribbon goes to the FBO at Beatrice Municipal Airport (KBIE) in Beatrice, Nebraska.

AVweb reader R. L. Saathoff told us how the crew at BIE took care of business on a recent visit:

The airport manager and staff are willing to help in any situation. While traveling to see my father who was hospitalized, I needed transportation. They provided a crew car for my entire stay and had my aircraft ready for me when I returned.

Keep those nominations coming. For complete contest rules, click here.

AVweb is actively seeking out the best FBOs in the country and another one, submitted by you, will be spotlighted here next Monday!

Nominate an FBO »

SHORT FINAL...

Overheard in IFR Magazine's 'On the Air' Section
Overheard in IFR Magazine's "On the Air"

Airliner:
"Approach, what's our sequence?"

Approach:
"Calling for the sequence, I missed your callsign — but if I find out what it is, you're last."

Courtesy of the Top Twenty Actual Transmissions Heard in the O'Hare Tracon, from IntentionallyLeftBlank, the newsletter of O'Hare's National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

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